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Thread: Crossing the line.

  1. #1
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    Default Crossing the line.

    How many of us took part in 'crossing the line ceremonies'?
    I for one, first trip on The Warwick Castle, was too busy to even know there was such a thing.
    In fact, on future ships, I still never saw it.

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    Default Re: Crossing the line.

    Did not take part in any Den , but do recall the Ceremonies had many as the UCL both Mail and Intermediate Runs had them on each trip. They were good fun to watch (when one could ) and there were many good laughs!
    Good old King Neptune of course always made his appearances!
    Cheers
    Senior Site Moderator-Member and Friend of this Website

    R697530

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    Default Re: Crossing the line.

    Never took part on any of the O Liners I was ever on, Orontes, Oronsay

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    Default Re: Crossing the line.

    I only remember being 16 when I crossed down WCSA but our chipping time was too valuable to interupt for any cerimonies

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    Default Re: Crossing the line.

    Seen it in numerous occasions with UCL.
    Funny thing is I now have two certificates for crossing the line when on a cruise ship.
    Never took part in the performance but all on board got one.

    Mate of mins crossed the line, spent three months in Wormwood Scrubs.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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    Default Re: Crossing the line.

    Saw the ceremony quite a few times on cargo ships and I was the main entertainment in July 68 on the Tintagel Castle. As long as it did not turn into a a round of bullying or persecution and was a spectacle of fun that used to break up a quite long sea voyage I quite enjoyed it. As others have mentioned receiving certificates with out going through a ceremony on cruise ships I received similar while flying on a KLM Jumbo Jet in the 70's in fact 4 times in a week. I was joining a product carrier in Djakarta I arrived via Singapore but nobody had checked the visa requirements I did not have one and so was deported back to Singapore to get one issued
    (Having been given ceremony certificates 1 and 2) Having got a visa I returned to Djakarta and found the ship had sailed for Singapore. so back I get on the plane for Singapore and am given ceremony certificates 3 and 4. My original certificate on the Tintagel Castle was a mini work of art with beautiful copperplate script and different colours of mermaids swimming and dolphins a leaping etc. Which was well worth keeping, The KLM ones were just tat in comparisons. Anyway like my career at sea they have long since disappeared but not forgotten.

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    Default Re: Crossing the line.

    I know a bloke out here name of Davey Jones who was an electrician in Port line many moons ago . Next time see him will ask if he was called on many times to assist King Neptune. He had his own nickname for every surname he told me once, probably in self defence of what others called him. Cheers JS
    R575129

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    Default Re: Crossing the line.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis McGuckin View Post
    How many of us took part in 'crossing the line ceremonies'?
    I for one, first trip on The Warwick Castle, was too busy to even know there was such a thing.
    In fact, on future ships, I still never saw it.
    Hi Dennis,
    I took part in a number of ceremonies but never got 'caught' myself. The first time I crossed the line was on the cadet ship 'Otaio', there were many first trippers amongst them, upwards of thirty I think, along with boy ratings and officers wives there were around forty destined for Neptune's ministrations. Everyone knew I had been to sea for eight months and they just assumed I had crossed the line; I did not disabuse them of this fact, and I was encouraged to participate in the jollities, something I did with pleasure, it would have been rude not to!
    Cheers, Paul.

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    Default Re: Crossing the line.

    When I was seafaring for 45 years I never ever saw a crossing the Line ceremony.
    Ever since I started cruising in retirement for 20 years , I always joined in as a Pollywog. A Pollywog is a first timer across the equator.
    The ceremony on the cruise ships was always a queue of first timers round the swimming pool, at one end was some Mermaids, King Neptune sat on a Throne and a Judge, The outfits and make up were always fantastic.
    At one at a time each Pollywog was dragged before the Court of King Neptune and the Judge reads out a charge or crime the person is alleged to have committed, They are sentenced to "kiss the fish", A large Tuna fish is put to them to kiss then a bucket of gunge, from tins of beans and tomato's dumped over their head and they are thrown into the the swim pool, everyone cheering.
    Every time I went I always shouted, "I do not recognise the Court, Neptune is NOT the King of the sea, POSEIDON is the King of the sea", "then I got all the audience chanting, "POSEIDON, POSEIDON,"
    Then a bucket of gunge is dumped over my head and then thrown into the Pool. All good fun.

    I have some photos of it somewhere ,
    Brian

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    Default Re: Crossing the line.

    First crossing on a B.P. tanker and they got me good. The gash bucket was tolerable but when they stuffed my nose absolutely crammed with blue vein cheese it really was the pits. It took weeks to regain a normal sense of smell.I know all had a good laugh but it was REALLY very bad. I am able to laugh about it now, just part of life at sea.

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